The present invention generally relates to the field of windshield wiper systems.
Pedestrian safety is a concern of automobile manufacturers. Vehicle manufacturers strive to minimize pedestrian injuries in vehicle collisions by making a variety of modifications to vehicles. Efforts include making vehicles more visible with brighter colors, anti-lock brakes which allow the driver to swerve and avoid contact with a pedestrian, devices such as air bags and spoilers which deploy from the vehicle to prevent pedestrian impact, and softer fronts on vehicles to reduce the level of head and leg injury.
According to statistics, head injuries are the major cause of death in pedestrian-vehicle collisions. In order to alleviate the pedestrian injuries due to impact with a vehicle, softer fronts on vehicles have been implemented from the bumper to the hood and to the wiper pivots. For example, vehicle packaging may be modified to create greater clearance between the hood, engine, and suspension. However, a vehicle generally includes specific hard points such as the hood hinges and the wiper pivots which can cause severe injury to a pedestrian""s head upon impact. Generally, the wiper pivots are solid metal appendages below a vehicle windshield which serve as mounting points for wiper arms. The wiper pivots are generally affixed to the cowl of a vehicle. To avoid wiper pivot injuries, a method of reducing pedestrian injury from a wiper pivot is to provide a wiper pivot which slides into the cowl of a vehicle. The wiper pivot of the prior art is mounted on a spring-loaded clip below the cowl of the vehicle. The spring-loaded mounting allows the wiper pivot to slide into the cowl when it is subjected to an impact. The wiper pivot of the prior art slides in the cowl and is susceptible to defects due to debris or corrosion lodged between the pivot and the cowl. Furthermore, the wiper pivot of the prior art creates additional vehicle packaging issues as the device requires ample space below the cowl to allow the pivot to slide.
Consequently, a need has developed for a compact and durable wiper pivot which reduces the chances for injury to a pedestrian by absorbing energy from a pedestrian impact.
Accordingly, it is a principle object of the present invention to provide a compact and durable wiper pivot which reduces injury to a pedestrian upon impact.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a crushable windshield wiper pivot which absorbs energy upon impact with a pedestrian.
In accordance with the above objects and other objects and features of the present invention, a crushable windshield wiper pivot is provided. The crushable wiper pivot includes a pivot base, a sleeve, and a cap. The pivot base is driven by a windshield wiper motor and adaptable to reciprocate the windshield wiper arm and its components across the windshield. The pivot base is partially disposed in a vehicle cowl. The hollow sleeve includes a first end mounted on the pivot base, a middle section adaptable to crush outwardly and vertically, and a second end. The cap of the present invention is mounted on the second end of the hollow sleeve. The cap has a surface adaptable to mate with a base of a wiper arm. The cap may include a threaded shaft for receiving a wiper arm and a nut. Accordingly, when a pedestrian impacts the vehicle at the windshield wiper pivots, the wiper arm, nut and the cap are displaced as the hollow sleeve crushes outwardly and vertically at the middle section thereby absorbing energy from the impact and reducing injury to the pedestrian.
As those skilled in the art will recognize, the embodiments of this invention may vary depending upon the specific requirements of a vehicle. Accordingly, the particular size and shape of the cap, the sleeve, and the pivot base may vary, depending on the particular application.
The above objects and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention are more readily understood from a review of the attached drawings and accompanying specification and claims.